Time for a new family car.

[MikeT]

I've had the car since December 27th after the front sunroof panel was replaced. So far, through several rainstorms, it has not leaked a drop. Good news.If this keeps up through a few more downpours, the car will go back for some trim replacement and an interior cleaning, which should close the file on the matter.I underrstand the sunroof structure better now. Even the lamellas that seal against each other (as opposed to their edges that seal against the aperture) have a water leak redundancy: a transverse aluminium drip rail is in each lamella panel, lying under the seal, which guides any water that may get in into the longitudinal drain channels which in turn have a drain at either end.

Edited January 5, 2008 by Mike T

[deezle]

Even the lamellas that seal against each other (as opposed to their edges that seal against the aperture) have a water leak redundancy: a transverse aluminium drip rail is in each lamella panel, lying under the seal, which guides any water that may get in into the longitudinal drain channels which in turn have a drain at either end.

So one of your drip rails (underneath the seal) had some crud blocking the flow of water, or was it a drain at one end that was plugged?

[MikeT]

There wasn't a blockage; something was wrong with the first lamella panel. Perhaps its transverse drip rail was too short? I'll never know. The roof has only been opened about 6 times so there has not been an opportunity for any crud to get in the drains.This morning again, it is bone dry inside and we had torrential rain all evening and morning. Things are looking good!

[MikeT]

The headliner and A-pillar trim were replaced last Thursday and the interior was cleaned up Friday. Still not leaking. Seems like that's the end of it.

[MikeT]

So yeah, it's nearly two months after the repair, and it's all good. The sunroof was adjusted at the time of headliner replacement, and now it doesn't rattle when open, as it did when the two roof panels were first replaced.I am enjoying the car again, now that the splish-splash show is over. It's smooth to drive, handles very well for a compact MPV, much better than expected, and the fuel economy is still good at 7.6 L/100 km, and trending downwards. The light coloured upholstery which looks so good compared to the monochrome black is a bit like a smart in scodic grey, very sensitive to water spotting, which is why I bought a Spot Bot just before we got the car. Still, it shouldn't need cleaning more than twice a year unless we spill something. I ScotchGard-ed the seatsJennifer has been driving it a fair bit and seems to like it more than the smart - probably due to the 5 speed manual gearbox, which I prefer to the smart's 'box too. However, the smart with the top down is still more fun!The lack of noise is uncanny and the noisiest thing is my Michelin Arctic Alpin PA2 Tires (rated V for speed: 240 km/h!), which are actually quite quiet.The summer tires will go back on in mid-March, and the fuel economy should then perk up a bit more. I'd like to get the car into the sub-7.5 zone for fuel economy, which certainly seems feasible. Ideally I'd like to be in the low 7s overall, say 7.2, but that would probably be difficult. 7.6 is pretty good for a car that waighs over 1300 kg, anyway, and it is not driven to maximise fuel economy!When the spring comes, the car will like its first coat of wax....because I got it in November, there never was an opportunity to give it a nice wax job (it lives outside).I've taken it up to 160 a couple of times so far, but I will save a real speed run for the good weather, warm and empty 110 km/h speed limited roads and with no smokeys in the vicinity. Getting there takes very little time, it is quicker even than the still-perky 405.I am thinking of a road trip to California later this year, after we get back from Europe, which would give us a chance to measure fuel economy with five aboard on open highways, at a constant 110-120 km/h. It'd also be fun to take it deeply into the USA, where they are unknown.

[Francesco]

My loaner B200 had fairly low mileage on it (IIRC <5000 Km), but it had no trouble getting to 190 on a clean, lit, wide-open stretch of concrete. It didn't want to go much faster than that. The T (I had a NA 200) is likely good for 215 or so.

[MikeT]

The B 200 Turbo for North America has a speed limiter set at 210 on account of its H-rated tires. In Europe they will do 225. I hear that if you get a B 200 Turbo in Canada with the optional sports pack, there is no limiter, because the car then has V-rated tires.The official top speed of the B 200 is 196 but I am sure it too will do 210, certainly 200 or so REAL km/h (say 206/210 on the speedo) on a long flat road. My "summer" tires are H-rated but my winters are V-rated, so I'll have to watch myself on the summers/all-seasons ;)My last tank yielded 6.83 L/100 km, not too shabby, since half of it was on winter tires and there was a fair amount of urban driving/short trips involved. I'm aiming to get the CO2 down to 170 g/km, and FE down to the low 7s overall. It's 7.57 overall at the moment.

[MikeT]

So tonight, despite a so-so tank result, I have got the fuel economy icon for the B 200 down to 7.5 L/100 km.Here's the scary bit: I predicted many pages ago in this thread that the car would not see much more than 10,000 km per year. Well it's close to 13,000 already, and that's after only 4.5 months. Our absence from home in most of April will attenuate the rate that km are accumulating somewhat (but Jenn T will be driving it a few hundred km before she too comes to Paris), but I think we'll have at least 25,000 km on this car by the end of one year. More than that, if Jenn T drives to UVIC in the smart next fall.....It's a very, very pleasant car to drive, so refined after the smart, which is a little rough and ready as they say. Still love the smart though.

[MikeT]

7632 of these cars are in Canada now, over 2.5 years. Their rate of importation is very close to that of smart, with the original 450 model.

[Harold and Kumar]

Hey MikeT, we were looking at a B200, about 18 months ago, but instead went for a 2007 VW Rabbit, 3 door, Triptronic 6 Speed Auto. I found the ride to be better, and much faster! It's not hard to find yourself doing 160 kph on 400 series highways and not even realize it. The fit and finish is excellent, cabin noise minimal, and it has more space than the B200. Only problem, that 5 in-line seems to really suck the fuel. But like you, if I went for the B200, I wouldn't be interested in the Turbo. So why not a Rabbit?

[Duck]

It's not hard to find yourself doing 160 kph on 400 series highways and not even realize it.

See, I think that's what is great about the smart. It's so honest - you actually have to DRIVE the thing to get it over 100. It might be the slowest, most underpowered car out there... but it also feel so much more alive than any other car.The other Merc loaners I've taken out are, just as you said, so powerful that cruising at 150 feels effortless. That's scary, actually! I think it's boring... fighting a headwind to maintain 110 km/h and still being able to blast through traffic, wheel cranked to the side because of the crosswinds, music pumping, engine screaming and begging to downshift... thats what I'm talkin' about! Work it, baby!-Iain

[sponge]

i'll have to agree with ian on this one too. when i'm keeping up with traffic on a 400 series road doing 120 clicks, i'm actually involved in driving with the smart. you get to feel everything that's happening in you environment from wind gusts, to truck drafts, to road imperfections. it makes driving interesting, rather then a chore to get you from point 'a' to 'b'.my dad's honda coupe is really fast and comfortable to drive, but i find it rather uninteresting to drive till you get in the 'lose you licence' speed territory. that car barely feels like it's moving when you are doing 120 clicks.

[Duck]

I know this is woefully off topic, but this is probably my favourite review ever: smart roadster - Top Gear

Jeremy hits it right on the head.

-Iain

[Harold and Kumar]

I know what you guys mean....I do prefer driving the smart, as it has a much more organic feel. You certainly have to pay attention, but I still keep it at about 130 on the 400 series, and sure, with music crankin (Hustle Rose - Metric), it can be trance-like.

[MikeT]

we were looking at a B200, about 18 months ago, but instead went for a 2007 VW Rabbit, 3 door, Triptronic 6 Speed Auto. I found the ride to be better, and much faster! It's not hard to find yourself doing 160 kph on 400 series highways and not even realize it. The fit and finish is excellent, cabin noise minimal, and it has more space than the B200. Only problem, that 5 in-line seems to really suck the fuel.

The Rabbit wasn't even on the radar for us.

It fails the "me behind me" test. I set up the driver's seat for me and then I sit behind it, and if I am cramped, no dice. I have a family of five and my son is as tall as I am (190 cm). We need a big car. The Rabbit isn't big enough. The B 200 is so much bigger inside than the Rabbit, it's not even close. I don't know how you figure the Rabbit is bigger, it's not. We can fit all five of us plus all our luggage for a month into the B 200.

The "suck the fuel" comment is another reason to reject the VW. I despise fuel guzzlers. I would never even consider a car that can't average under 8 L/100 km in my normal driving, where I live now. I'd probably be well over 9, maybe even 10, in a 2.5 L VW hatchback. That is rude fuel economy for a modern economy car.

So I could have considered a decent-sized VW like the new Passat (despite it too being more cramped inside than the B 200), with the TDI engine, but I couldn't wait for them to arrive (still not here) and VW has reliability problems, so I'd likely have chosen the B anyway.

Speed? I think any car that tops out at 200, like the B 200, is more than fast enough for North American traffic. I outgrew the "need" for fast acceleration when I was 19. I do take the B 200 over 160 occasionally and it is great at that speed.

The B 200 is so quiet at 90 km/h that you wonder if you are going deaf.

I agree with Iain about the smart. It is a car that you drive, not one that drives you. The B 200 is similar to the way you describe the VW. If it were not for cruise control, I would constantly be 40 km/h over the speed limit. That's not a good thing.

[Duck]

Amen!!!-Iain

[Diesel Dave]

Mike, for some reason I never felt a desire to comment on your B200 but, during the week that my smart was in for turbo replacement, I had a B200 service loaner and all I can say is WOW. That is a seriously nice car you picked. What a beautiful and quality machine it is. I wouldn't have guessed how nice it is to drive. I tried but could not find anything I didn't like about it. I certainly do want one (black with black interior and sunroof), but it's not in the cards yet. Congratulations on your choice

[MikeT]

Hey thanks Dave, I do enjoy it, even though it's short of character, compared to the smart. But it's a great family car. We're driving to California in it this August.

[Nextourer]

Indeed. I'd like to echo Duck's comment. I've test driven the B200/B200 Turbo during that RMB test drive event but just a few weeks ago, my memory was jogged when I was given a ride in the B200 (back home) and the B200 Turbo (back to the dealer) when my smart was in for repair. Boy was it quiet and smooth and the ride height is great!

[Harold and Kumar]

Hey Mike, awhile back you were talking about the size of the B200 compared to the VW Rabbit, and in almost all areas they are near identical, except for the cargo space. (cargo space for the Rabbit is 15.1 cubic feet with the rear seats in use compared to 19.1 for the B200, and with rear seats folded 46 cubic feet compared to 54 cubic feet). In fact, aside from the cargo space, the interior dimensions of the Rabbit are larger.For example - front head room - Rabbit 39", B200 38.9"; rear head room - Rabbit 39", B200 38.6"; front shoulder - Rabbit 55", B200 55.6"; rear shoulder - Rabbit 55", B200 54.4". I wonder what the leg room, front and back are in the B200, as in the Rabbit, they are 41.2" and 35.3" respectively. Are they comparable?And when it comes to torque, I'll take my 177 lb.ft torque @ 4250 anyday.

[MikeT]

I think you need to start a new thread about Rabbits :lol:The legroom in the back of the Rabbit is very inadequate for adults of my - and my childrens' - size. The "me behind me" test is how I measure legroom - I set the driver's and front passenger seat for me, and then I attempt to sit behind "me". The B 200 passed and the Rabbit (and most other cars) failed. We do this at the Auto Show every year.I'm good with the 200 km/h top speed, 0-100 in 10 s, 610 kg load capacity and the under 7.5 L/100 km lifetime average of the B 200. The extra luggage space is all needed when one has a family of five. I got all five of us, nine suitcases plus 7 handbags into the trunk when we returned from Europe about a month ago, and the two new smart front fenders fit too, though the kids inside the car had to hold those. Didn't even need to use the roof rack that we had left in the car at the airport, just in case we needed it.The Rabbit is not a good family car if you are five people, especially for people of 190 cm height.

[Harold and Kumar]

Maybe, there are just 4 of us, but I'm 6", my son is 5'10', daughter 5'9'' and spouse 5'4''. But I know for a fact that we could never get 9 suitcases into the back of the Rabbit. We have managed 4 carry-ons, a few knapsacks and a cooler. But the other day, when travelling solo, I did manage to get 2 Muskoka chairs into the back hatch, albeit with the rear seats folded down. Those chairs are pretty awkward, and take up alot of space.

[MikeT]

I've got the car's lifetime fuel consumption down to 7.4 L/100 km now, and I expect it to "bottom out" at perhaps 7.2 or perhaps a bit lower. I don't take any special fuel economy measures when driving, other than sticking close to speed limits, so it's a pretty decent result, using A/C a lot and with the huge sunroof open quite often.

[IMSMRT]

Mike, I haven't looked too hard but is the B200 at all rated to tow a trailer of any size?S

[MikeT]

Yeah, it can tow 1500 kg. Mercedes in Europe offers it with a factory towing kit, but not here; M-B Canada wants you to buy an SUV for that!